A beloved but worn-out community park used by Leland Public School kids will get an upgrade soon, but exactly how much of an upgrade remains to be seen.

Hancock Recreational Area (often called Hancock Field) is a roughly 13-acre parcel situated across Union Street from the Leland Country Club. It's used by local residents for various purposes and is also utilized by the school for its soccer programs, gym classes and more.

Though owned by Leland Township, the school has completed various upgrades to the property over the many years its students have used it. 

“Our intention has always been, even as renters of the space, to improve the park not only for our athletes and for our students, but for the community at large as well,” Leland Public School Superintendent Stephanie Long tells The Ticker.

Despite piecemeal upgrades over the years, the park’s facilities have deteriorated to an abysmal condition, both school and township officials say.

“I always joke that we’re the most impressive sandlot school you’ll ever find,” Long says. “Our soccer kids make it to the state finals every year, our track kids make it to the state finals, and they have no real facilities to practice on.”

The school district last week received a consultant’s presentation on substantial upgrades to the property, which the school formally leases (and has the ability to improve, according to the lease, subject to approval by the township).

The suggested conceptual improvements range on a “good, better, best” scale with price tags from $9 to $14 million. The plans range from a variety of more basic infrastructure improvements to a full-scale overhaul of the entire space with high-end materials and various amenities. 

Long expects to eventually be able to secure funding for much of the project with grants, though there’s a lot that has to happen first. The school board has to make a decision on which concept to choose, Long says, and that will likely involve a lot of input from the community.

Ideally, though, the project will move at a fast enough clip to get kids out on new fields and other improvements relatively soon, Long says.

“I would love for our varsity soccer kids to be on a turfed soccer field for the beginning of their season in the fall of 2026,” she says, adding that the project might have to be completed in phases.

Meanwhile, the township last week approved its own request for proposals for a design plan for a portion of the park. That RFP covers a chunk of the park not used heavily by the schools, Supervisor Clint Mitchell tells The Ticker.

Some in the community have questioned why the township is pursuing its own plans for a portion of the park if the school is already working on a plan for all of it, suggesting that separate processes are a waste of time and taxpayer resources. Mitchell cites a few reasons for the separate processes, including different priorties for the township and school district. 

"Their needs are K through 12, Our needs are ages zero to 100 – the community at large," he says. 

He also points to the school’s projected price tags being much higher than what the township plans to spend on a smaller portion of the park.

“We don't want to tie into something that loses traction because of the cost of it when we just want (upgrades to) this smaller component over here,” he says. “So that's where I think we can move forward independently but coordinate as we do so we're not conflicting.”

Mitchell stresses that the township hasn't actually done anything other than approve an RFP.

"All we're doing at this point is asking for bids," he says. "We're not spending any money and we're not obligating ourselves."

Despite the as-of-now separate processes, Both Mitchell and Long expressed a desire for the school board and township to work together.

“In a perfect world, we see what they want, we’re showing them what we want, and then we see how those things can coexist,” Mitchell says. “This is the beginning of a long process, and we still have time to coordinate and work together.”

“It’s very difficult, from the school’s perspective, to isolate – you get this square, we get that square – so us working together is the best way forward,” Long says. “(It’s about) cooperation and collaboration and trying to do the best thing for our kids and serve our community at the same time.”